Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without the use of soil. Instead of relying on the nutrients naturally present in soil, hydroponic systems use water that has been enriched with soluble fertilizers and other essential nutrients. This nutrient solution gives plants everything they need to grow quickly and produce healthy foliage, flowers, or fruit. The enriched water can be delivered to plant roots in several ways, for example, by immersing the roots directly in the solution, spraying it as a fine mist in a process called aeroponics, or using other circulation methods. In all cases, growers must regularly add nutrients to keep the solution balanced. This can be done manually, by measuring and adding nutrients on a set schedule, or automatically through dosing systems that test the water and adjust nutrient levels in real time.
Aquaponics builds on the same principle of growing plants in water but replaces synthetic or commercially prepared fertilizers with a natural source: fish. In an aquaponic system, fish live in tanks and produce waste as they eat and grow. Their urine and feces contain nutrients, particularly nitrogen compounds, that plants need for healthy growth. The water from the fish tanks is circulated to the plants, which take up these nutrients, effectively cleaning the water before it returns to the fish. While aquaponic gardeners still need to monitor water chemistry, nutrient levels, and overall system health, the goal is for the fish to supply most or all of the nutrients required by the plants, minimizing or eliminating the need for supplemental fertilizers.
Essentially, aquaponics combines two types of food production: hydroponics, for growing edible plants, and aquaponics, for raising fish. This makes it a highly efficient, closed-loop system where the waste from one part of the system becomes the input for another. However, it also means aquaponic farmers must have knowledge in both plant cultivation and fish care, including feeding, disease prevention, and water quality management. In contrast, growers working exclusively with hydroponics can focus entirely on plant production without the added complexity of managing fish and their life cycles.
Both hydroponics and aquaponics are valuable methods for producing food in environments where soil quality is poor or space is limited, such as in urban areas, greenhouses, or arid regions. They offer an opportunity to grow fresh produce year-round, often using less water than traditional soil-based farming, and can be adapted to suit a wide range of scales, from small home systems to large commercial operations.
Written by our Administrative Co-Ordinator
Concordia Greenhouse Project 